Decline and Risorgimento of the West
Some time either between the two world wars or shortly after World War II a book was published with the title ‘Decline of the West’ by Oswald Spengle. I have never read this book but have come across discourses on its theme. The writer said that West European and North American nations were showing signs of decay and might lose their leadership of the world.
Since the end of World War II, European powers have lost their colonies. In international geopolitics they are not as dominant as before. Economically the top five greatest economies were in the West. Now the second and third places belong to China and Japan respectively.
There are some nations, among the smaller ones which would like the United States to fall apart even as the Soviet Union did. They say they hate domination of the West. If this super power ceased to exist, would the world be a better place to live in? Possibly for some people but not everyone.
Sixty years have passed since World War II ended. There have never been long lasting wars between nations since. True, since 1948 the State of Israel has been in military clashes with its neighbours; Britain, France and Israel attacked Egypt when it nationalised the Suez Canal; India and Pakistan have intermittently fought over the Kashmir divided State. But all these have been so brief in comparison to the wars that had been taking place between European countries since the fall of the Roman Empire. The absence of wars between countries is due to the existence of the super powers and the United Nations. Without these institutions following the end of imperial rule in Africa and Asia, there would have been wars of borders in Africa and Asia. Whenever two neighbouring countries are in dispute over borders, the major powers either directly or through the United Nations have acted the ‘lamula-mkunzi’ disengager of fighting bulls.
The world has been better off with the existence of a few super powers. Those people or nations who are financing terrorist organisation to try and wound the United States and other major States are a danger to us as well. Their collaborators, like Edward Snowden who has divulged his country’s intelligence work, are not champions of freedom. They are self-seeking. The US government is entitled to put on trial those who have betrayed its secrets.
It is those people who have something to hide from the United States that must worry about America’s intelligence network. It was because of excessive concern for privacy that Osama Bin Laden was able to wreak disastrous havoc on September 11 2001. Privacy should be expected only up to a point where it is not a danger to a nation’s security.
If the US and other Western nations collapse, smaller countries will be at the mercy of their bigger neighbours who pine for their natural resources and wish to redraw boundaries.
Is the decline of the West irreversible? You bet not. The West has a mindset which Africans should imitate. For more than a millennium, almost all marvels of civilisation have been invented by the people of the West. They are dedicated to scientific research, to innovations and inventions. Though in international trade, countries like China and Japan have been doing better, the products they sell are mostly inventions of the West.
The world and especially Africa is afflicted by incurable diseases like HIV and Aids. Scientists in the West are working hard to discover a cure. So far, by inventing ARVs and the means to protect a baby in the womb from HIV infection, scientists in the West have given hope that they will one day make a breakthrough.
Some countries in the world have prospered with their oil bonanzas. Instead of using their wealth to conduct research that will benefit mankind they just finance terrorist organisations or else spend their wealth on making weapons of mass destruction. The western nation’s dedication must be emulated by Africa.
Having landed men on the moon, the US now is exploring Mars. The West does not rest on its laurels. If indeed it has declined from the apogee, it will sooner than later experience the Risorgimento, the revival. The secret is in continuous research, aspiration.
Are we Africans serious about achieving a renaissance? Let us ignore some of the West’s morals but imitate its scientific way of life.
